He was an Epping Forest District councillor and was portfolio holder for Customer Services, ICT & E-government until he stood down in order to concentrate on his campaign to be elected as an MP. As a councillor he campaigned on issues including green belt protection, the introduction of traffic calming schemes as well as working with communities to find ways of engaging the young.[4]

In 2012 Metcalfe was named by Conservative Home as one of a minority of loyal Conservative backbench MPs not to have voted against the government in any significant rebellions.[6] He was subsequently one of 136 Conservative MPs to oppose the third reading of the Coalition's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.